From Lisselton Bardic School to Ballydonoghue Bardic Festival
Until Tony O’Shea wrote his fine article as Gaeilge in 2018’s edition of The Ballydonoghue Magazine, many of us were only vaguely aware of this highly significant chapter in the story of our extensive literary heritage, The Lisselton Bardic School.
The account by Tony of the work of Padraig Liath Ó Conchubhair, the unsung literary giant of Lisselton, inspired a group of people in the parish to get together to explore the possibility of initiating a weekend festival in honour of Padraig Liath, maybe even an annual event, located in Ballydonoghue and centred round the themes of poetry, music and song.
A few short months later, after several meetings, the forming of a committee, hosting of a very enjoyable coffee-morning fund-raiser in Tomáisín’s Bar and a highly successful Christmas Market in The Thatch, the parish was on the way to having its very own Bardic Festival, the highlights of which you can view on our GALLERY page.
Covid put a stop to our gallop for a couple of years but now we’re back!
Ballydonoghue Bardic Festival 